


An Alpha for Christmas

by Neverever



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Christmas Fluff, Domestic Avengers, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Shopping, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:05:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3067205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neverever/pseuds/Neverever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lonely Steve spends the days before Christmas pining for Tony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Alpha for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [exfatalist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/exfatalist/gifts).



> A gift for Exfatalist for the 2014 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange. Exfatalist asked for domestic fluff and an ABO fic. Hope this fic fits the bill!
> 
> Thanks for my beta for all the help.

“Stop doing recon, Steve, it’s just a toy store,” Natasha said. She nudged him out of the store entrance.

Steve had never been to FAO Schwarz before. Or any toy store since he was a kid. It was bewildering, loud and crowded. 

“Where do we start?” he asked. He re-read his gift assignment. He was to buy age-appropriate gifts for two boys and a girl, age range 7 to 10, for the annual Stark Industries Christmas charity drive.

Natasha had her own assignment. “There has to be an arts and crafts section somewhere.”

On their way, they passed a section that could only be described as outrageously pink. Steve stopped dead in his tracks. Every package and toy was pink. There were pink-clad dolls, pink bracelet kits, pink furniture, pink guns, pink trucks. Any toy in pink with accents of purple and light blue the omega child could want.

“I’m not buying anything out of those aisles,” he sputtered.

“Striking a blow for non-gendered toys?” Natasha said. “Can’t avoid this crap though. It’s everywhere they sell toys.” She waved her hand dismissively.

Steve stopped in front of a display of sturdy wooden toys. He understood blocks. These sets were particularly attractive in bold colors and were ‘non-gendered,’ to use Natasha’s term.

“You couldn’t find marbles or a train set?” Natasha said over his shoulder.

“You don’t like the blocks?” Steve said. 

“Not for seven-to-ten-year olds. See, on the package they print age guidelines.”

He reluctantly put the package back. But then Natasha pointed out the Lego sets. “They have Lego train sets,” Steve said with a smile.

“Did you have a train set when you were a kid?”

“Always wanted one but my mom couldn’t afford it,” Steve said. “Had a lot of cars and marbles though.”

Natasha wrangled a shopping cart for the large set Steve liked. He ticked off a name on his list. Next stop was the arts and crafts section. Natasha sorted through kits while Steve admired a child’s easel. He had already picked up crayons, a beginning art supplies kit, and lots of paper. “Now that’s something I would have liked,” Steve said pointing to the easel. 

“That makes sense, since you have something like that now,” Natasha observed, dropping her finds into the cart.

The team had given Steve a large, high-quality easel for his birthday back in July. He’d never had one for his own before. 

They went to the dolls next, which meant backtracking to the pink zone. “Are you sure, Tasha?” Steve asked.

“The six-year-old girl wants a doll.” She showed the list to Steve. “I asked around SHIELD for advice.”

Looking over the shelves, Steve said, “Dolls sure have changed since my time.”

“What do you know about dolls, Mr. Alpha-est of all alphas?” she teased. 

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, I got a charity gift when I was nine. Three baby dolls.”

Natasha laughed. “That must have been a mistake.”

He shook his head. “Everyone just assumed because I was small for my age that I was an omega. Omegas like dolls, apparently. That Christmas I had a black eye and bruises from fighting at recess when a couple of boys tried to take my newspaper money from me. My mom traded the dolls for a used baseball glove and bat.”

“Did they get the money? The bullies?”

“Not that time,” Steve said proudly. 

“At least no one ever tried to give me dolls or dollhouses,” Natasha said. She was the other alpha on the team, Clint and Bruce being betas, Thor an alien and Tony an omega.

At the register, Steve noticed Iron Man socks in Tony’s size and tossed them into the cart. After paying for the gifts, Natasha suggested that they use the charity gift-wrapping table. 

Steve watched the older man and woman cheerfully wrap their presents, donations going to a local homeless shelter. “I’m surprised that our lists came with orientation,” he said. “When I was a kid, the adults guessed.”

Natasha shook her head. “It’s a thing now. Parents can have their kids tested before they present. I’ve been told that the tests are mostly accurate.”

“That can be rough on a kid.”

“Life is rough. So are you going back to the Tower?”

“I’m meeting Tony for lunch,” Steve said. He retrieved the socks from the pile of presents going with Natasha in the car. 

~~~~~

Steve arrived at the restaurant to the sounds of the hottest hit of the season -- “All I Want For Christmas (Is The Perfect Alpha).” Steve didn’t have an opinion one way or the other about it, but he knew that Clint and Tony hated the sugary pop song.

Unexpectedly, Tony had already arrived and commandeered the best table. Steve smiled at seeing a relaxed Tony in one of his designer suits flirting outrageously with the laughing waitress. Tony was just one of those people who oozed charisma out of every pore and moved easily in any crowd. He would have been that way regardless of his gender.

“Hey, Tony,” Steve said, interrupting Tony and the waitress. The waitress immediately handed him a menu and went to get him water.

Tony stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You don’t use the alpha glare that often,” he observed.

Steve was confused. “I didn’t -- I just said hello.”

“We’ll probably get the best service I’ve ever had at this place.” Tony tapped on his phone and then put it down on the table. “How’d the shopping go?”

“Mission accomplished. And the gifts are on their way to Stark Industries for the party.”

Tony buttered a piping hot roll from the basket. “You should have shopped online. Faster, more efficient, and you wouldn’t have to fight the crowds.”

“I like seeing what I’m buying.” He pushed his gift over to Tony.

“For me?” Tony said, pretending to be shocked. He unwrapped the package and grinned when he saw the socks. “Thanks, Steve.”

Steve liked having the warmth of Tony’s smile aimed at him. 

Tony picked up his phone and showed Steve the latest cover of People Magazine. “I’m personally offended that you weren’t named People’s Sexiest Alpha of the year,” Tony said. “I’m putting the PR team on it for next year’s issue.”

“That’s okay, Tony. I’m fine with being overlooked for the honor.” Steve didn’t consider himself sexy in any possible meaning of the word. Now, he’d call Tony sexy.

It was in the way Tony sat, the way he smiled, and the way he walked. Steve watched Tony land at the Tower in the Iron Man suit, all clean lines and beautiful architecture. He’d take off the helmet, his thick hair wild, brilliant smile on his face and in his eyes. He took Steve’s breath away.

“Pepper wants as many Avengers as possible at her charity event tomorrow night,” Tony said.

“There’s an event a couple of days before Christmas?”

“She promises it’s the last one for awhile. Show up in something festive and we’ll feed you.”

“What it’s for?” 

“Stark Foundation fundraiser for supporting omega students in STEM disciplines.” Tony waved around his fork as he talked. “We have to come up with a better name for our initiative. Anyway, tomorrow night -- a few kids will be showing off their recent science projects, a presentation from a fifth-grade science teacher, I’ll be handing out awards and scholarships. It’s going to be fun.”

“Sounds like it,” Steve agreed. 

Tony had to rush off to a meeting after lunch. Steve waited with Tony as Happy brought the car around. 

“Happy could bring you back to the Tower, if you needed the ride,” Tony offered.

“I’m fine,” Steve replied. “I’d like to sketch some of the store windows for my class tonight.”

Tony snorted. “Trying to impress one of your classmates?”

“No, nothing like that,” he said, shaking his head.

“Catch you later, Steve,” Tony said as his car arrived. “Call me if you need help fending off the omegas in your class.”

Steve could feel himself blushing. He hadn’t really thought about dating since he was unfrozen. To be honest, Steve had given up on ever finding that special someone. And he gave up long before he was ever Captain America.

Being an undersized alpha, he never had much of a chance with omegas. Then, after a while, it didn’t matter. When his mother died, he needed to support himself, and even with Bucky’s help he couldn’t get a date. Peggy Carter had been a bright beam of light with her courage and intelligence. He might have built a life with her even with them being both alphas. But like all his pre-ice dreams, that never came true. 

Fighting off a wave of regret and loneliness, he trudged off towards home through the holiday crowds. 

~~~~~

A few months ago, Steve had discovered the perfect art class. It was no commitment, show up if you have the time, pay as you go, and the teacher would announce the next class time and class assignment online. The class was designed for people in high-pressure jobs who had little time for a regularly scheduled class but still wanted to learn to draw or paint. 

Tonight was the class party. So Steve showed up with his portfolio for review and critique and a box of Bruce’s chocolate chip cookies. These days Bruce was either lying low in his lab or baking up a storm. He was finding the holidays more than stressful and no one wanted that. After Christmas Bruce was heading off for a yoga retreat in New Mexico.

With Christmas music playing softly in the background, Steve stood with a plastic cup of red wine listening to his teacher talking about her large family’s Christmas and her plans to see her grandchildren in California in a couple of months. It beat the heated debate in another group about the rampant sexism in the song “All I Want For Christmas (Is The Perfect Alpha).” 

Steve’s phone buzzed. As he checked the phone, half the class froze, wondering what the emergency was. They knew he was Captain America and that it was never good news if Steve had a frown on his face when his phone rang. This time it was Clint texting him to pick up beer on the way home since they were inexplicably out back at the Tower. Steve announced to laughter that it was nothing more serious than a beer emergency.

He didn’t think of Tony during the party. Oh, maybe there was a stray thought when a classmate mentioned their partner. Not that Steve was in the market for a partner, although for Tony he might make an exception. Even assuming someone as amazing as Tony ever noticed someone like Steve. Once he had caught Tony looking at him wistfully but Tony only laughed it off, saying he was thinking about some armor upgrades.

Towards the end of the party, as his classmates floated off to other commitments or back home, his teacher made suggestions about improving his line work. “Any big plans for the holidays?” she asked.

“Not many -- I’m on call.” Steve had volunteered, in fact. He wanted to tackle new training plans.

“Not even for New Year’s? I’m surprised that an alpha like you are alone at this time of year,” his teacher said. “I’m sure that any free omega would love to go out with you.” 

Steve had a strong dislike of talking about his personal life. His teacher’s grandmotherly charm nearly disarmed him and he stammered over his usual excuses. “Guess I’m too busy,” he finally answered.

“All in good time,” she said with a pat on his arm.

Because of Clint’s request, he stopped by a convenience store on the way home to get a 30-pack of beer. At the long line at the register, he looked through the magazines, including the recent issue of GQ featuring Tony. Tony had given an in-depth interview covering his entire career as a billionaire genius philanthropist superhero omega.

He had of course had already bought his own copy to read the fascinating interview. Tony had lots of opinions on all sorts of things, insisting that being an omega shouldn’t hold him back. After a question about Tony’s failed relationship with Pepper Potts, Tony responded that he wasn’t some omega secretly longing for a gentle but dominating alpha, and he wasn’t willing to settle for Mr. Right Now Alpha.

If Steve was a better person, he would have read the article and left the magazine in the common living room for his teammates to read. But the pictures. Steve loved the pictures of Tony in a button-down white shirt, Iron Man cufflinks, flirting with the camera, of Tony stretched out on the couch, his arm at a jaunty angle leaning against a bent knee, his red shirt open at the neck, a sharp contrast to the dark couch and black dress pants. 

He didn’t want anyone to know about the dog-eared magazine tucked away in his closet, the pictures a perfect inspiration during a long, hot shower when Steve longed for more than just a pat on the back from Tony. A platonic best friend shouldn’t be fantasizing about what it would be like to peel those black pants open.

The cashier rang up Steve’s purchase. That annoying song came on the cashier’s radio. Steve saw the weariness in the man’s eyes. “My daughter loves that song,” the man said. “She sings along with it all the time.”

Steve nodded in sympathy as he paid for the beer and a box of chocolates for Tony.

~~~~~

He spent the morning working out. He wanted to know why he was feeling so jumpy all of a sudden, why he had a constant itch under his skin that he couldn’t scratch away. The feeling wasn’t much different from the times the team was tracking a supervillain. But no one was on their radar right now.

Coming up from the gym, he threw a towel over his shoulders and grabbed a Gatorade from the refrigerator. Clint was in the common living room investigating a pile of ski equipment. The television was blaring a medical program -- _“What you can do about false heats!”_

Steve toed a snowboard. “Getting ready for the trip?”

“Yeah. I’m glad Stark’s lending us a private jet.” He held up a ski. “Do you think Thor could use this?”

“Maybe?” Steve replied. “Thor’s a big guy.”

Clint sighed. “I have no idea why I let Natasha talk me into a ski trip with her and Thor.”

“We could all use a vacation,” Steve replied. He was distracted by the graphic medical advice on the television. He had never heard an omega talk that openly about having problems with their heat. On the other hand, everything he’d ever learned about sex he learned from the other kids in the schoolyard and later from the soldiers in the war.

“I give up. Tasha can sort all this out with Thor when she gets back from Christmas shopping.”

“Shopping?” Steve blanched. He hadn’t even started shopping for his teammates’ Christmas presents. There was no time to do it this afternoon and be on time for the fundraiser. 

Clint laughed at him. “Oh man, Steve, you’re doomed.” Clint’s phone rang out a familiar chorus, _“Please Santa, I’ve been a good omega all year long, bring me the perfect alpha.”_

He groaned, “Stark!” He ran over to the phone, frantically trying to turn it off. “Tony changed my ringtone so I can’t fix it. Ugh, I hate that song.”

~~~~~

Steve owed Natasha a big favor. She had suggested the red v-necked sweater, blue striped shirt and tan pants for the fundraiser. He fit in perfectly at the holiday-themed event. He didn’t owe Clint anything after Clint talked him into wearing the antlers.

He would have taken the antlers off at the first opportunity, except that Tony said that he looked cute in them. So they stayed plastered on Steve’s head. Clint made it his mission to convince Steve to wear the red ball nose.

Clint nudged Steve. “Seriously, the omegas are digging the antlers. Imagine what they would say if you wore the nose.”

“No, Clint.” Clutching his cup of warm lemon seltzer, Steve scanned the festive crowd. Honestly, it was one of the better fundraisers he’d attended on Tony’s behalf. If only that male alpha would stop pestering Tony.

“Look over there, those two omegas and a beta have been staring at you since you got here. I bet you could get lucky tonight.”

“Clint,” Steve warned. 

“Fine. Fine. But you’re letting all that alpha-ness go to waste, I tell ya.”

Steve watched the male alpha who had been hovering around Tony all night put his hand on Tony’s arm. He knew that Tony could fend off any advances he didn’t want. But for some reason he was operating on instinct more than reason tonight. He walked over to join Tony.

Tony beamed at him. “Hey, Steve, did I introduce you to the people from the Gates Foundation?” He introduced Steve around to the group. 

He handed a plate of appetizers to Tony. He also stared down the irksome male alpha, who excused himself and backed away carefully. 

Arching his eyebrow, Tony steered Steve towards the collection of science projects on display. “I don’t like the I-am-Alpha-hear-me-roar displays. But that guy was not getting the hint.”

“Oh?” Steve said. 

“You didn’t see?” Tony replied, clearly not believing Steve’s nonchalance. “I was plotting on how to drop a hot appetizer plate on the guy’s foot. Or weaponizing the cocktail picks.”

The Foundation had set up a section of the venue for the display. A group of ten-to-twelve-year-olds decked out in their holiday finest eagerly showed off to the audience. Tony was particularly taken by a levitating cylindrical robot painted in purple and glitter.

The girl proudly showed Tony the innards of her robot. Steve couldn’t quite follow the conversation between Tony and the robot maker. But he loved how excited Tony got over the little robot and its designer.

“See, this is why I do this,” Tony said, holding up the purple glitter robot. “Every omega should have the chance to do science for a career.”

“I didn’t think there would still be discrimination now.”

Putting the robot down, Tony said to the awed and star-struck robot designer, “Congratulations, kiddo. When you get your Ph.D., look me up.” 

Guiding Steve over to a bar, Tony sighed. “Still happens, all the time, in subtle ways. From the minute I discovered I was born to be an engineer it’s been a war against constant ignorance.” He ordered a drink for him and Steve. “It starts at this age -- that idea omegas aren’t good at math or engineering or science. I hope that every kid in this room tonight grows up to win a Nobel prize, show the world that anyone with the talent can do anything.”

Tony adopted Steve as his companion that night. Steve thought he’d never seen Tony more charming, more brilliant, or more engaging than that evening. The enticing scent of Tony’s new cologne filled his senses. He didn’t want the evening to end.

Later in the car heading back to the Tower, Tony teased Steve about the number of omegas who flirted shamelessly with the baddest alpha in the room.

Steve looked at him oddly. “I don’t remember that at all.”

“Come on, Steve. What about that woman who bent down in front of you showing off every asset she had and gave you her number?”

That woman had pushed Tony into Steve, whose thoughts lingered over the warmth of Tony’s body against his. He shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

“Are you sure you’re an alpha? You know, it’s in the job description that you’re supposed to jump any and every willing omega in a ten-mile radius, right?”

“What about bonding?”

Tony had a rueful smile on his face. “Sometimes I think that’s a myth. If it didn’t happen between me and Pepper, I can’t imagine bonding with anyone else.”

“Ever?” Steve replied in shock.

“Can’t always get what you want, Steve. Even me.”

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

~~~~~

The morning of Christmas Eve Steve headed out to do his Christmas shopping for his teammates. Clint took over the Christmas exchange from Bruce, who started to get dangerously twitchy as soon as Tony asked whether a thousand dollars was a reasonable low limit for gifts. Clint laid down the rules, one gift per person, no more than $25, joke presents preferred.

He picked up a pink-and-purple Nerf bow for Clint, and ignored the advertising promoting the bows for omega teenagers. Natasha was next -- a set of fuzzy bunny slippers and socks for her. He browsed through a bookstore for the right cookbook for Bruce and found a book with a thousand and one interesting facts about the Earth for Thor. 

While waiting in a long line, Steve leafed through a book about the rise and fall of SHIELD. He could hear one of the cashiers recommending the latest young adult novel to a doubtful older woman. 

“It’s a great book,” the young cashier enthused. “The main character is this female omega and she learns all about her self worth and how to stand up to alphas oppressing her in this dystopia.”

The customer frowned. “My granddaughter is more into space in her science fiction. What do you recommend –“

Steve slammed his book closed. What was he going to buy Tony? Somehow the Iron Man action figure in his basket was no longer the perfect gift. 

He now had a mission to buy Tony the perfect gift. He combed through stores looking for the perfect present for Tony. Steve was not a big fan of shopping to begin with, so he hoped to find something soon.

But nothing was right. He knew that Tony liked to read, but preferred eBooks. He didn’t cook. None of the Iron Man toys felt right, and Steve was pretty certain he’d already bought half the items available for Tony already. He investigated ugly Christmas sweaters. But anything he found looked picked over and in tough shape, assuming he even liked it. Tony deserved better.

He came across a fancy hardware store. He had the wild idea that maybe he could buy a nice wrench or power tool for Tony. But he would never buy anything in the store that had on display tool sets in pink, perfect for that young omega in their first apartment. Tony would have been completely appalled, and he liked his hardware stores without hipster attitude. 

In desperation he walked into a home decor store. In confusion he walked right out. He had no idea what Tony liked in home furnishings, except that Tony hired interior designers to decorate. And nothing said I-had-no-idea-what-to-buy-you like a vase. 

Three hours later and he was at his wit’s end trying to find the best gift he could for Tony.

He decided to regroup with a coffee break. On the way, he passed a clothing store. Scarves. He could get Tony a scarf. A personal gift with the right touch.

The store helpfully had a table full of men’s scarves in the middle of the store. He pondered what would be a good color on Tony. Sensing that Steve was at a loss, a saleswoman approached him. “Can I help you?” she offered.

“Thank you, I’m just looking for a scarf.”

“These are 100 percent cashmere,” she said. “Perfect with any suit or overcoat. Will last a long time.”

Steve did like the feel of the scarves. Nice weight. Nice red color. Tony did have a lot of red things.

After sizing Steve up as a man in need of help buying a present, the saleswoman suggested, “We have plenty of ideas for gifts for omegas. For example, these silk shirts here are on sale.” She pointed to a rack of brightly colored shirts. 

Tony would look spectacular in that purple shirt. Steve had no idea what size shirt Tony wore.

“How tall is your omega?” she asked. “Is he smaller than you?” She held a shirt up to Steve. “Definitely not as broad in the shoulders.”

He blushed. “I’m just shopping for a gift for a friend.”

A woman who dealt with clueless alphas daily, she smiled charmingly at him. “Your ‘friend’ is a very lucky man. Now we have sweaters over here, if he prefers sweaters.”

Steve squirmed as the saleswoman held up a series of sweaters. He could imagine how the last sweater would cling to Tony’s chest. He’d be safer getting anything else.

He eventually settled on a set of scarves in red, purple and blue. The set cost considerably more than Clint’s strict $25 limit. But if Clint didn’t like it, they could spar it out in the gym.

~~~~~

If all Clint wanted for Christmas were toy Nerf bows, he would have been very happy. At least Tony gave him ‘upgraded’ arrows for the bows. “Thanks, guys,” Clint said, with a mischievous glint in his eye as he tested one of the bows.

Bruce gave out fancy cookies, chocolates and teas. Steve thanked everyone graciously for the red, white and blue themed gifts. Thor was pleased with his gifts, especially with Natasha’s gift of a travel book. Tony gave everyone nice, tasteful Iron Man-themed pyjama sets.

The team was sitting around the tree in sweats, jeans and yoga wear in the common living room, which was haphazardly decorated for Christmas with a variety of snowmen and snowwomen and Santas, including an Iron Man Santa, and a riot of ornaments in every color and shape on and off the tree. Steve was particularly pleased with the popcorn garland on the tree. 

Clint rooted around underneath the Christmas tree. “Hey here’s one more gift. For Tony.” He handed the flat package to Tony.

Tony put down his fifth cup of coffee. “Hmm, must be from Steve.” He carefully opened the paper. Steve could feel his heart beat faster as Tony held up the scarves. “Um, thanks, Steve,” Tony said in awe. “Wow, these are really nice.” He put the red scarf around his neck.

Steve nodded. “I’m glad you like them.”

“I get clothes from this store all the time,” Tony continued. “Perfect gift, Steve.”

He walked on air for the rest of the evening knowing that Tony liked his gift. His good mood lasted all the way until Clint suggested a movie.

Bruce announced, “We’re not watching ‘A Christmas Romance’.”

“What’s that?” Steve asked.

“A terrible rom-com -- an alpha about to bond with an omega who’s only after her money and then falls in love with her best friend, an omega who’s been pining for her the whole film,” Natasha said. “It’s very sappy and ridiculous.”

“Most unrealistic depiction of a mating heat ever,” Tony chimed in. “Trust me.”

“We’ll pass on that one,” Clint said. He clicked through a list of Christmas films helpfully provided by JARVIS on the television’s large screen. “How about a ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’?”

“No,” Steve snapped, startling the team. 

“Vetoed by the person who overly identifies with the story,” Tony said. “How about ‘A Christmas Story’?”

Clint started up the film. Tony handed a chip bowl over to Steve, who felt an electric shock when their fingers brushed. He wondered if he imagined that Tony also smiled at him.

Later, when the rest of the team gone to bed and Tony had fallen asleep on Steve’s shoulder, Steve decided to watch that romantic movie everyone vetoed earlier. Tony stirred, blinked and said in a sleep-slurred voice, “Not as bad as I remembered.” Steve had spent worst Christmases than watching a movie with Tony at his side.

~~~~~

The rest of the holiday passed quietly. Steve spent most of Christmas day at a soup kitchen. The team went out seeing the sights or catching up with friends and family in person or on Skype. Steve fought back a pang of jealousy when he overheard Tony joking with Rhodey.

The day after Christmas, Steve was cooking breakfast when Tony stumbled down to the common kitchen. “Would you like an omelet?” he offered to Tony, who was staring at the empty coffee pot.

“Sure, love that,” Tony replied.

Steve steered Tony over to the table. “I’ll get you coffee and breakfast. Take it easy for once.”

In short order, he put an omelet and hot coffee down in front of a grateful Tony. He sat down across from him with his own omelet and coffee. 

Tony looked up at him. “Why aren’t you taken?”

Lost in his paper, Steve didn’t hear him at first. “Hmmm?”

“Seriously, Steve, you’re like perfect. In every way,” Tony repeated.

“I’m not perfect, Tony,” Steve said. “I have a temper, I’m stubborn, and so on. You mention my faults on a regular basis.” He sipped his coffee, looking at a wistful Tony over the rim of his cup. “Please tell me you’re not trying to set me up. I went through that with Natasha.”

“No, what I’m trying to say --”

Clint ran into the kitchen. He slammed his phone down on the table. “I give up. Make it stop.”

Tony chuckled. “You know you can’t beat me at my own game, Clint.” He picked up the phone, scrolled and tapped, and handed it back to Clint.

“If I ever hear that ringtone again --” Clint threatened.

“No, seriously, I took care of it.”

Steve puzzled asked, “Why do you hate that song? Is it the lyrics?”

“All I Want For Christmas (Is The Perfect Alpha) is a horrible monstrosity.”

“A crime against our ears,” Clint added. “It’s repetitive, shrieky, and you can’t escape it. Worse than Santa Baby.”

“The lyrics -- all the omega stereotypes. Blech.” Tony shook his head. “I don’t like pop to begin with. And this song is the worst of all musical worlds.”

After Clint left to pack, Tony put his plate in the sink. Steve said, “What were you trying to tell me earlier?”

Tony poured himself another mug of coffee. “Hmmm, can’t recall. Anyway, I’ll be in the workshop if anyone needs me.”

~~~~~

Steve helped Natasha with her luggage. They waited in the still decorated tower lobby with evergreen bows, gold and red ornaments, and poinsettias on every surface. Clint and Thor were on the way.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come along, Steve?” Natasha asked again. She put her backpack down next to the packed ski equipment ready for the ride to the airport.

Steve shrugged. “Someone has to be on call.”

“There’s Tony.”

“He’s holed up rehauling his suits. Have a great vacation,” Steve said, affectionately patting her shoulder. 

~~~~~

Steve had plans through New Year’s. He had designed a few extensive training workouts he wanted to try, then he wanted to redo a couple of his art class assignments. Tony wanted to be left alone to work on the suits, so Steve didn’t see him all day long.

While he was putting together dinner out of leftovers, Steve decided to make a plate for Tony as well. He suspected that Tony hadn’t likely eaten much, if anything, all day.

JARVIS let Steve into Tony’s workshop. He saw Tony soldering the delicate internal connections in a gauntlet. “Hi, Steve,” Tony said, pushing up his welding goggles. Steve loved how amazing Tony looked in his torn black tank top and tight jeans. 

Steve put down a plate of sandwiches next to Tony. Tony’s compelling scent of spice, musk and hot metal hit him like a ton of bricks. With dopey smile plastered on his face and feeling a little weak in the knees, Steve asked, “How is it going?”

Tony shrugged. “Long night ahead. Lots to do.” He waved at the holoscreens full of data and data analysis surrounding him.

“Oh, I see,” Steve replied, a little crestfallen. Somehow he had developed the strange idea that maybe Tony would join him in watching television. He wanted to be close to Tony all night if he could manage it and breathe in that wondrous scent on Tony’s skin.

Tony sighed and put down the gauntlet. “Steve, look, I appreciate what you’re doing. But you can stop now.”

“Stop?”

“The old-timey courting thing has its charm, I admit. Beats the caveman act by miles. But it’s kind of weird.”

“I’m not -- I’m not courting you,” Steve stammered out, his face turning a bright red. “I’m not.”

Tony patted Steve’s arm. “That’s okay, Steve. I get it. You’ve been much nicer than the usual alpha.”

Steve wanted to slink out of the lab and never face Tony again. He lived through enough brush-offs to know that Tony was about to let him down easily. Tony was an immensely kind person behind the big persona. “I should go.”

“Steve. Wait. Come back, Steve,” Tony called out to him as he left the lab. “It’s not what you think --”

He retreated with a half-gallon of ice cream to his room, completely embarrassed by his behavior. One thing he definitely endorsed in the 21st century was the vast selection of ice cream flavors. Cookies-and-cream ice cream, college bowl games, pro-football playoffs, and a sketchbook -- he’d be set for the evening. Maybe even the next day. He could avoid seeing Tony for the week if he planned carefully. Assuming the team wasn’t called out for some emergency.

Deep into watching a football game between two teams Steve could care less about, the lights and television blinked on and off rapidly, finally staying on.

“Steve,” Tony’s voice called out from the intercom.

“Tony? What’s going on?”

“Um, ugh, long story. I’m locked in a supply room. I need you to get me out.”

“What about JARVIS?”

“He’s, um, offline. Unavailable.”

Picking up the tool box Tony asked for, Steve followed the directions Tony gave him to the supply room tucked away in a corner of one of the mechanical floors of Avengers Tower. “Tony?” he asked, knocking on the plain, locked metal door.

“Glad you’re here, Steve,” Tony replied with obvious relief. “I need to get out of here.”

Steve put the toolbox down. He pushed against the door to assess how easy it would be to open the door. Tony had done an excellent job in choosing and installing a quality door, with not a crack around the edges of the door. “What happened?”

“Regular maintenance. Something pinged on my scan and I had to replace a disc in one of the server arrays. I came down here to get a replacement. I got in, forgot to prop the door open, and the door shut and locked behind me.”

“But it’s just a supply room.” Steve tried the door handle. Frame was metal too and the hinges buried mostly inside the door.

“This used to be a backup server room. I never changed out the door.”

“And JARVIS?”

“During my inspection of the server farm, I might have fallen into a server rack or two, probably three. Set off a chain reaction and knocked out JARVIS. Won’t be hard to restart him once I’m out of here.”

“Okay.” Steve pushed hard with his shoulder and the door didn’t budge. 

“I need to get out of here,” Tony insisted.

“Working on it,” Steve replied. Maybe he could dismantle the door handle to get to the latches. He looked for screws. “Could you restart JARVIS from where you are?”

Long silence on the other side of the door. “I’m not exactly up to my usual brilliant standards today. Nothing’s working the way it should.”

“You’re always brilliant, Tony, always. I’ve never seen you have an off day.” He took out the screwdriver and started to unscrew the mounting around the handle.

Tony chuckled low and deep. Steve snapped to attention with a flutter in his stomach. “You’ve never seen me this way.”

A little voice at the back of his mind was trying to warn Steve. He knew something was off with Tony but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “Okay.” How many screws where there? His fingers ran along the metal ring to find what he had missed.

“What are you wearing, Steve?”

“Sweatshirt and jeans. Will that help with anything?”

Tony groaned. The delicious noise went straight to Steve’s groin. He stopped in his tracks. Oh, something was going off the rails fast. “Wait, is there something going on that I should know about?”

“Yeah, I’m sitting in a crappy supply room, in torn jeans, in a bad mood, and probably starting my heat. Newsflash, I really don’t want to spend my heat cooped up in this room.”

Steve’s hand froze on the handle. He could feel his alpha instincts kicking in. “Tony -- I should call one of the security guards to spring you.”

“No! Don’t!” Tony shouted. 

“Tony, if I get this door open and you’re in heat -- it won’t end well.”

“It could be fantastic, Steve. Have I told you how sexy you are? I’m thinking of running my hands all over those washboard abs of yours ….”

“We’re not going any farther with this.” Steve put his hand on the door. He could imagine Tony on the other side of the door, splayed out on the floor, ripe, willing …. He shook his head to clear it. Tony’s sensual voice was putting him over the edge and he couldn’t even smell him yet.

“Steeeevvvee,” Tony whined. “Get me out of here.”

“We’ll get you out. Can you hold on for awhile longer?”

“It’s not going to get better. Not without some relief. Sexy relief.”

Steve put his forehead against the door. The cool metal was pleasant against his heated skin. Tony was mere inches away. “You, um, said you weren’t interested in me. I want to respect that, Tony.”

“Argghh. Just get the door open, Rogers. Now. I’m not having a heart-to-heart talk about relationships when I’m stuck in this room wanting to get fucked in a bad way.”

Now that was an image to get Steve hot and bothered. The handle broke in his hand. “I’m not that type of alpha.”

“WHAT? An alpha not interested in sex?!”

Steve liked the idea of having sex. Loved the idea of having sex with Tony. So no, not that. “I’m not going to take advantage of you while you’re under the influence --”

“God, Steve, I’m interested, you have no idea how interested I am. And no, it’s not the heat thing.” Tony took a deep breath. “Steve, I’m a mess. I don’t have anything to offer you.”

“Did you think I was just interested in you for your body?” Steve said angrily.

Long pause again. “Lots of people are interested in me just for my body. And my money. Worked wonders from me in the past.”

“But me?”

“Ugh. How could this day get any worse? Why can’t you be like every other caveman alpha?” Tony banged his head against the wall.

The broken handle crumpled in Steve’s hand. “Tony, you told me to knock it off with the courting. And I respect you too much --”

“Please take this as nicely as possible, Steve. Shut the hell up. You left before I could say anything to you earlier. I respect you too. But I’ve thinking a lot lately about you and me. In a good way. In a dating way. In a relationship way.”

“Tony.”

“Right now I’m thinking of you in a fuck-me-through-a-mattress way. Then we could go for coffee, if you’re still interested.”

A switch flipped deep in Steve and he growled low and deep. That door was just in the way of getting to Tony whom he cared for deeply and wanted. It must be removed. His fingers found the leverage he needed. He ripped the door off its hinges.

In awe, Tony said, “That was unbelievably hot.”

Steve strode into the room, pulled Tony into his arms and kissed him passionately, his warm lips sliding against Tony’s plump ones. His fingers tangled in Tony’s short wavy hair. Tony pulled and tugged at Steve’s clothing. “You need to get out these now,” he said. 

“Bedroom,” Steve said with a grunt. Tony’s hands were everywhere, all over Steve’s body. Steve breathed in the heavy heat scent of musk and metal and was quickly losing any possible control. But he was determined not to have sex for the first time with Tony in a supply room.

Tugging Tony behind him, Steve stopped every few feet for a kiss and a grope. At last they managed to get into the elevator, where Steve ripped off Tony’s tank top. His hands ran up and down Tony’s beautifully muscled arms. He got lost in watching Tony’s arms flex as he pulled Steve close. Tony licked his ear and said, “Stick to the business at hand, handsome.”

By the time they reached Tony’s bedroom, Steve didn’t hesitate to yank the comforter off and throw Tony on the bed. “Steve, take off your pants,” Tony hissed. “I’ve been waiting too long for this.”

All that Steve had ever imagined about Tony paled in comparison to the amazing, real-life version of Tony here, naked and willing and wanting Steve. Everything clicked into place as if choreographed, as Steve maneuvered Tony under him as he had longed for months. He nipped along Tony’s strong shoulders, tasting the sweet sweat already glistening on Tony’s olive skin. 

“Ready for me?” he whispered in Tony’s ear.

Tony kicked Steve’s leg. “Don’t make me wait any longer, get down to work. I’ve wanted you for an unbelievably long time.”

Steve caressed up and down Tony’s flanks before anchoring his hands on Tony’s hips. He positioned himself, pressed in, and groaned, “I’ve wanted you too.” 

Tony moaned loudly in response and Steve gave into his alpha instincts free, reveling in those lovely noises from Tony and the response of the omega’s sinewy lean body. He couldn’t have imagined anything better than sharing Tony’s heat.

~~~~~

After two delirious days of frantic sex in Tony’s bedroom, Steve lay on his back in exhaustion, staring at the ceiling, with Tony curled up against him. The bedroom was a disaster zone, sheets, pillows and the comforter tossed around the room, empty water bottles and food wrappers scattered around, a lamp knocked over. Light streamed across the nearly bare bed since no one had bothered to pull the curtains shut. It felt early, but dazed, happy, and satiated, Steve didn’t care what day or time it was.

Tony finally stirred. “Best Christmas heat ever,” he said, his voice rough with sleep. “Be better with coffee.”

Neither of them moved for another few minutes. Tony poked Steve. “I’m not above pulling post-heat omega privilege -- coffee?”

Steve laughed and squeezed Tony. “I’ll go find coffee and breakfast.” He swung his legs off the bed and rooted around for his clothes. He ended up grabbing a towel and tucking it around his waist.

As he was making omelets, Tony came down in a big fluffy robe instead of waiting in bed. Steve gave Tony a piping hot mug of coffee. 

“You read my mind,” Tony said and sat down at the table. “It’s a shame that you changed into actual clothes.”

“Naked and cooking don’t mix well,” Steve admitted. “Especially when cooking omelets.”

Tony drained his coffee mug. “I guess we have lots to talk about,” he said, tracing a pattern on the tabletop with his finger.

Steve cocked his head to the side. “I thought everything was pretty clear.” He plated the omelets and sat down next to Tony, hooking an arm around his waist.

Tony looked relieved. “I meant what I said before the heat --want to go out for coffee with me?”

Steve kissed the top of his head. “I think we’re beyond coffee now.”

“Oh, we’re already at the dinner and a movie stage in the relationship?”

“More like weekend trip stage.”

“Mmmm. Or I get to see you naked a lot stage?”

Steve laughed. “That too. I like that stage.”

“Want to call it a day and spend the rest of it in bed?”

He yawned. “Sounds good. We’ll need clean sheets though.”

“I was thinking of your bed.”

Steve shook his head. “I forgot and left my ice cream on the bed when I came to rescue you. It’s, um, a mess.”

Tony couldn’t stop laughing for a long time. “Fine, we’re probably better off in my room anyway.”

“So I guess this means I have a date for New Year’s?” Steve asked.

“Absolutely. You clean up nicely and I think I can take you out in public.”

Tony’s phone, on the kitchen island, suddenly rang with a merry electronic chirping remix of All I Want For Christmas (Is The Perfect Alpha). They both stared at the phone in shock, before Tony lunged for it, cursing out Clint, and swearing to never work on his equipment ever again. Steve laughed until he had to wipe the tears from his eyes.

He hugged Tony from behind, as an irate Tony promised revenge. He kissed Tony’s neck, tongue running along the sensitive skin. Tony shivered at the touch, snuggling closer to Steve. And Steve smiled, thinking that it might not be too long before they talked about bonding.

What a great way to start the New Year after all, he thought.


End file.
